caramel coloring

Caramel coloring, the stuff used to give sodas their brown color, may sound harmless, but a new study shows it can contain a chemical that’s been linked to cancer – and the Food and Drug Administration is checking it out. Consumer Reports said it found higher-than-necessary levels of a compound called 4-methylimidazole, or 4-MEI, in a dozen brands of soda; 4-MEI is an impurity that can form in the manufacture of the coloring. The drinks tested by Consumer Reports were …